Folarin Balogun described it as a "dreamy night" — and it is hard to argue with him. The USMNT striker scored twice as the United States cruised to a 4-1 World Cup victory over Paraguay on Friday.

Balogun, who was eligible to represent England and Nigeria before committing to the United States, made his international allegiance count in emphatic fashion, netting a brace that underlined his value to the American setup heading into the tournament.

The forward's decision to pledge his international future to the USMNT over two of football's most competitive nations appears to be paying off, with the World Cup stage now firmly in his sights on home soil.